Reliability ESTimation of hydrogen and fuel cell systems

Hydrogen (H2) and Fuel cell (FC) technologies are considered very promising as an important part of future energy systems. The REST project will focus on reliability – which is a technological barrier for a wide market introduction of H2 and FC systems. Reliability is defined as the ability of an item to perform the required function under stated conditions for a certain period of time, which is often measured by probability of failure, frequency of failure, or in terms of availability. FC stacks are inherently reliable, but have to be integrated into complete solutions/systems – with issues like instabilities in the cell design, system design and system integration, often leading to uncertainties regarding reliability. In integrated systems, the malfunction of one component may affect the operation of another component and of the whole system. In this context, the lack of tools/model for reliability estimation and of documented reliability results constitutes one of the big obstacles for the commercialization of H2- and FC-based technologies/systems.

Danish H2 and FC companies have gained a leading international role in developing FC systems globally, but structured reliability assessment has been a low priority in the efforts of getting the technology to a commercial level. The lack of reliability assessment and experience is becoming an obstacle for continued success. International competition from Germany, Japan and North America is far advanced on reliability compared to Denmark.

The objective of the REST project is to address the current limitations on reliability estimation and testing across several application segments for H2 and FC technology – especially backup power and hydrogen refueling stations (HRS). In addition, the project development will leverage on reliability related know-how
from other applications, namely FC systems for electric vehicles (FCEV) and for material handling vehicles (MHV) – promoting the transfer of knowledge between application segments. The specific project activities include the development of a new reliability assessment methodology and associated models; accelerated reliability testing of FC systems and sub-components to validate the models and induce improvements into the systems; and the development and testing of a new advanced Control and Monitoring System (CMS) for HRS enabling intelligent self-diagnostic and correction of failures.

The project is based on an industrial platform comprising three companies – Dantherm Power, H2 Logic, and Huyndai Denmark – which have been at the forefront in the development and demonstration of H2 and FC systems. The successful implementation of the REST project will create significant business opportunities for these companies – with derived positive effects to the entire Danish H2 and FC industry. Their know-how is complemented by an academic partner – Aalborg University – with strong expertise in reliability research and FC technology.